By Hazarry bin Haji Ali Ahmad
The Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam

Bandar Seri Begawan – A bright moving light was observed across the sky over Brunei Darussalam at around 8:00 PM on Thursday, June 04, 2026.

Several members of the public, including observers from the Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam (PABD), reported the sighting, among them a 1‑minute video recorded by a witness in Kampong Bebatik at 7:51 PM, who described seeing a bright white luminous object with a visible trail moving steadily across the night sky.

The witness, @cloud_stride, noted that the object did not resemble an aircraft or a comet. The video was later shared on the witness’s social media account one week after the event, drawing renewed public attention and discussion.

Based on the timing, direction, and visual characteristics captured in the video and eyewitness accounts, the phenomenon is highly consistent with the exhaust plume of the Long March 6A (Chang Zheng 6A) [1] rocket launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China, at approximately 7:39 PM (UTC+8) [2]. This aligns closely with the observed motion and appearance of the object as it passed over the region.

This type of display is known as a “space jellyfish.” It occurs when a rocket’s upper‑stage exhaust expands in the thin upper atmosphere and is illuminated by sunlight that still reaches the rocket, even though observers on the ground are already in darkness. The illuminated plume spreads outward, creating a glowing, jellyfish‑like shape that can be visible across wide areas during twilight. Such events are well‑documented worldwide and are commonly associated with twilight rocket launches.

The same plume was also sighted across the Philippines [3], Sabah [4], and Sarawak, matching the expected downrange trajectory of the rocket. This confirms that the event was a non-hazardous optical phenomenon resulting from a scheduled space launch and is not related to astronomical objects.